Conventionally, there is a coin arranging/conveying apparatus that requires taking out and conveying coins by means of an arranging/conveying belt provided at the bottom of a coin hopper, controlling the coins into a single-layer state by means of a gate portion having a separation roller that faces the arranging/conveying belt so that the coins are arranged and conveyed one at a time in a single layer in single file (e.g. The coin arranging/conveying apparatus includes a movable guide formed of a plate spring that is disposed below the separation roller and adapted to be pressed against the reverse surface of the arranging/conveying belt, i.e. the surface facing away from the arranging/conveying surface of the belt. The movable roller serves to maintain a specified gate gap between the separation roller and the arranging/conveying surface of the arranging/conveying belt. Should an excessively thick coin enter the aforementioned gap, the movable roller moves downward so as to prevent the coin from being caught in the gap (e. g. See Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-245506 (pages 4-5, FIGS. 1-3).
The coin arranging/conveying apparatus described above is capable of handling objects, such as Japanese coins, that are not significantly different in diameter or thickness, without a problem of coins being caught in the gate portion. However, coins in foreign currencies may present a great difference in size; in some countries, the largest coin may have twice the diameter or thickness of the smallest coin. Should there be such a great difference in diameter or thickness, the coin arranging/conveying apparatus described above may be prone to a problem of coins being caught in the gate portion.
Even if coins become caught in the gate portion, the movable guide moves downward together with the arranging/conveying belt so as to dislodge the coins. Nevertheless, as the arranging/conveying belt is constantly moving while the movable guide does not move in the conveying direction, the arranging/conveying belt is prone to wear due to contact with the movable guide.
Furthermore, even if the coins are dislodged and pass through the gate portion, they will be conveyed towards a coin passage at the downstream side in the state where the coins are in contact with one another. As a result, the coins are prone to become jammed at the stage in which they are conveyed to a transfer belt of the coin passage at the downstream side.
In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a coin arranging/conveying apparatus that is capable of reliably conveying coins one at a time through a gate portion into a coin passage unit even if there is such a great difference in diameter or thickness of coins.